Day care worker faced past sexual abuse claims

Kerby

By Diane Turbyfill

Published: Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 10:13 AM.

Recent allegations of child sex crimes against a Stanley day care worker weren’t the first in the man’s history. Claims of sexual assault had been filed against Robert Youngblood Kerby before, according to acting Stanley Police Chief Derek Summey. “We had some claims in the past. Nothing could be substantiated,” he said. “Obviously we will be revisiting those cases.”

Kerby, 57, faces accusations of 11 child sex crimes. The charges stem from his affiliation with Caron’s Care, a day care his wife operated out of their home for more than two decades. Investigators are working to determine the number of victims and the appropriate charges, according to Summey. Stanley police have been coordinating with state detectives to interview parents and children who had contact with the day care. This isn’t a case investigators take lightly, Summey said.

“This is something that just kind of rocks your world. It shakes the whole community, not just Stanley but the whole county,” said Summey.

Recent allegations: Stanley police received the most recent report about Kerby’s alleged misconduct on Nov. 3. Two days later officers served arrest and search warrants. Kerby’s accuser, now 12, told investigators she endured the man’s abuse for four years. She reported that Kerby was her caregiver at the day care and a friend of her family. Arrest warrants say Kerby sexually assaulted the girl at the day care and at her home in Gaston County.

A woman who attended Caron’s Care more than a decade ago says she also suffered abuse at Kerby’s hands. The Gazette does not name potential victims of sexual assault. The woman alleges Kerby sexually abused her from the time she was in third grade until she was in sixth grade.

Past possible abuse: Now in her 20s, the woman said she and a friend were both victims while they attended the day care. She said she remembers Kerby bringing her a lacy slip to wear and that he put makeup on her. The woman said she and her friend didn’t talk about what happened or what Kerby had them do. They were afraid and embarrassed, she said.

Recent allegations of child sex crimes against a Stanley day care worker weren’t the first in the man’s history. Claims of sexual assault had been filed against Robert Youngblood Kerby before, according to acting Stanley Police Chief Derek Summey. “We had some claims in the past. Nothing could be substantiated,” he said. “Obviously we will be revisiting those cases.”

Kerby, 57, faces accusations of 11 child sex crimes. The charges stem from his affiliation with Caron’s Care, a day care his wife operated out of their home for more than two decades. Investigators are working to determine the number of victims and the appropriate charges, according to Summey. Stanley police have been coordinating with state detectives to interview parents and children who had contact with the day care. This isn’t a case investigators take lightly, Summey said.

“This is something that just kind of rocks your world. It shakes the whole community, not just Stanley but the whole county,” said Summey.

Recent allegations: Stanley police received the most recent report about Kerby’s alleged misconduct on Nov. 3. Two days later officers served arrest and search warrants. Kerby’s accuser, now 12, told investigators she endured the man’s abuse for four years. She reported that Kerby was her caregiver at the day care and a friend of her family. Arrest warrants say Kerby sexually assaulted the girl at the day care and at her home in Gaston County.

A woman who attended Caron’s Care more than a decade ago says she also suffered abuse at Kerby’s hands. The Gazette does not name potential victims of sexual assault. The woman alleges Kerby sexually abused her from the time she was in third grade until she was in sixth grade.

Past possible abuse: Now in her 20s, the woman said she and a friend were both victims while they attended the day care. She said she remembers Kerby bringing her a lacy slip to wear and that he put makeup on her. The woman said she and her friend didn’t talk about what happened or what Kerby had them do. They were afraid and embarrassed, she said.

“You were told to do something, so you did it,” she said.

Ultimately the woman said she told a friend, who then told a relative. Her school was notified and police were contacted. As a child, the woman said she cracked under pressure. She says she remembers sobbing and recanting her claims against Kerby to police. The investigation was dropped, she said.

More charges ahead: The woman who claims Kerby abused her more than 10 years ago is back in contact with Stanley police. She said she wants to put her accusations on record. And she expects her friend, who she said was also abused, to do the same. Chief Summey wouldn’t speak to details of the alleged abuse. He said he doesn’t want to compromise the case. He said there have been more accusations, and there will be more charges.

Kerby lived at the Stanley home with his wife, Caron. Caron Kerby held the state license for the business, and her husband was certified to work there. He was known to help with the business, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Service.

Chief Summey said that Caron Kerby is not a suspect thus far. “She is being very cooperative with our investigation,” he said. “We’re treating her as a witness at this point.”

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.

Police ask anyone with information regarding Caron’s Care or Robert Kerby to call 704-866-3300 or Gaston County Crime Stoppers at 704-861-8000.